Board Members

Suzanne Karapashev is an environmental complex claims specialist at Westfield Insurance. In her role, she handles and supervises environmental and toxic tort claims nationally. Prior to her current position, Suzanne was an attorney at Roetzel & Andress, LLC, handling insurance defense and environmental matters. Before that, she managed claims legal research for Progressive Insurance for the East Coast and was a judicial attorney for the Summit County Court of Common Pleas. 

Suzanne’s degrees include a Bachelor of Arts in History with honors at the College of Wooster (1988) and a J.D. from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law (1991). She received the Journal of Dispute Resolution Past Editors’ Award for significant and lasting contribution to the publication in 1991. 

Suzanne enjoys music, art, books, films, unusual food, Marathon Bars (aka Curly Wurlys), and travel. 

Technical Director – Environmental Claim Unit – Nationwide Insurance

Ryan is a Technical Director in the Environmental Claim Unit at Nationwide Insurance. In his role, Ryan manages the Complex/Large Loss Claim Team for Nationwide and their affiliated companies nationally. Prior to accepting his current position at Nationwide, Ryan was an Assistant Vice President with another insurer, where he spent time in the Specialty E&S and Environmental & Health Hazard Claim Divisions. Prior to that, he worked in the Specialty Liability Group at a large carrier where he served as the lead insurer representative nationally for several Fortune 500 companies handling their asbestos litigation. In addition, Ryan has managed or directly handled a diverse set of claims, including traditional environmental, PFAS, benzene, silica, welding-rod, lead, diacetyl, mold, agribusiness, product liability, premises liability, contingent liability and food-borne illness matters.  

Ryan has a Master of Science in Management degree from The American College and a Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois State University. Ryan also holds the Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist designation from the National Underwriter Company.  He currently serves as the Conference Co-Chair for the National Forum for Environmental and Toxic Tort Issues (FETTI). In addition, he has been a presenter and panelist at several industry seminars (Perrin Conferences, CLM, ACI, etc.), speaking on a wide array of relevant insurance topics.  

Personally, Ryan enjoys playing golf, attending sporting events, and spending time with his family. 

Bonnie has served on the FETTI board since 2006 and was a co-chair from 2011 to 2015. In this capacity, Bonnie executed FETTI’s mission alongside fellow co-chair Ryan Gillespie. She also prepared the board’s agendas each year, advised the FETTI conference committee, and conducted the board meetings.  

Bonnie routinely emcees at FETTI’s annual conference. She has returned to serve as the CLE/CE coordinator, a position she held from 2006 to 2011.  

Bonnie earned her law degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law, where she studied environmental law. She is licensed to practice law in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana. Bonnie graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Superior with a B.S. in Chemistry and a minor in Mathematics. 

Scott D. Pfeiffer serves as the FETTI board’s editor. In this capacity, he is responsible for FETTI’s periodic newsletter, including article solicitation, editing, and publishing. Scott also coordinates the annual “Call for Speakers” application process and works with the board to screen the applications for the annual conference. 

Scott is a partner with extensive experience in state and federal courts and has been admitted pro hac vice in over 13 separate jurisdictions. He received his Juris Doctorate from the John Marshall Law School.  

Scott is the editor of FETTI’s newsletter and has participated in speaking engagements on the topics of the coal workers’ pneumoconiosis and diacetyl litigation. He is a member of the Elite Defense Network – Berkley Life Sciences and has also served as a panelist at The Chicago Bar Association’s program on mastering Section 2-615 Motions to Dismiss. 

​​Chris is the Director of Litigation Services at August Mack Environmental, Inc. with more than thirty years of experience in environmental engineering, chemistry, and project management. In his role, he is responsible for leading a group that provides litigation support and serves as consulting or expert witnesses on numerous litigation matters in state and federal court. During his career Chris has performed or managed hundreds of residential, commercial, and industrial site assessments, site investigations, and remediation projects involving a wide range of environmental contaminants.

Chis is a certified hazardous materials manager (CHMM).  He received his M.S. in Environmental Science and Engineer from the Colorado School of Mines (1997) and B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Environmental Science from Butler University (1991). 

Linda Bondi Morrison has been on the board of FETTI as its secretary for nearly 20 years and is active in a number of other professional and charitable organizations. These include the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), under its grants committee (western division), and Insuring the Children (an insurance industry group funding child abuse prevention programs), as part of its board. Linda is also a mentor for the UC Irvine School of Law Mentorship Program. 

Linda is a partner in Tressler LLP’s Orange County, California, office, where she represents insurance companies in complex litigation and coverage matters involving general liability, excess exposures, environmental and toxic torts, construction defects, errors and omissions, advertising/personal injury, and bad faith. She has represented clients as a trial counsel in a number of significant, complex matters in California and across the country.  

As a frequent lecturer and author, Linda regularly speaks at and moderates national conferences. Recent presentations include: 

• “Who Pays When Products Fail? Determining Damage and Coverage for Claims Involving Defective Products,” ABA Section of Litigation Insurance Coverage Committee, March 2015 
• “The Significance of Mentors and Sponsors,” IICF Women in Insurance Conference, June 2014 
• “Recent Developments and Issues in Insurance Coverage for Asbestos Claims,” Perrin Cutting-Edge Issues in Asbestos Litigation Conference, March 2014 
• “Defense Allocation Issues When Independent Counsel is Triggered,” HB Insurance Allocation Strategies 2013 Conference (Which Linda Co-Chaired), October 2013  

Linda was also the regional editor for the Defense Research Institute (DRI) Excess and Umbrella Compendium, published in 2012. 

Jack McCants serves as FETTI’s sponsorship coordinator. In this capacity, he is the corporate sponsorship liaison to the FETTI board, advising the board on sponsorship participation, attendance, and funding for the annual conference.

Jack is a partner at MG+M The Law Firm, based out of the firm’s Jackson, Mississippi, office. He has nearly 25 years of experience defending corporations and businesses in premises liability, personal injury, and product liability claims arising from exposure to toxins, transportation accidents, and construction defect and construction site incidents. His client base ranges from regional enterprises to insurance carriers to Fortune 500 companies working in industries such as pharmaceutical, industrial manufacturing, insurance, hospitality, construction, and real estate development. A studied toxicologist, Jack has successfully litigated thousands of claims alleging asbestos, PCB and welding rod fume exposure in some of the most high-risk jurisdictions in the country.

Jack is admitted to practice in Mississippi, Illinois, and Tennessee, as well as before the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the US Supreme Court.

In addition to FETTI, Jack is or has been actively involved as a presenter and panelist with the Perrin Conferences and Defense Research Institution. Jack has also participated in the American Bar Association, Mississippi Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, Capital Area Bar Association, Charles Clark Chapter of American Inns of Court, Society of Toxicology, and Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. He maintains his status as an adjunct professor at the Mississippi College School of Law.

James P. Hogan has been FETTI’s webmaster since 2015, overseeing the organization’s website, annual conference promotions, and social media content. As the President and CEO of The Environmental Liability & Asset Management Group, LLC (The ELAM Group), he drives the company’s mission to provide top-tier solutions in reserve cost estimating, litigation support, pollution claim oversight, and environmental contracting. With a focus on expansion, he is leading efforts to broaden the company’s reach, enhancing service delivery nationwide. Over the years, James has guided complex remediation projects for Fortune 500 companies and municipalities, while offering expert testimony on issues such as soil and groundwater pollution, vapor intrusion, and regulatory compliance.

A recognized expert on emerging contaminants, including PFAS, paraquat, glyphosates, and microplastics, James helps organizations navigate the intricacies of risk assessment and litigation. He advises clients on regulatory and financial hurdles under federal laws like TSCA, CERCLA, and RCRA. Leading The ELAM Group’s Environmental Provision Practice, he provides clients with strategic environmental forecasting, preparing them to face future challenges. Licensed in Indiana, Oregon, and Washington, James specializes in advanced remediation systems and groundwater modeling.

Beyond his professional life, James is deeply involved in the development of environmental standards through his work with ASTM International Workgroups, where he helps shape key guidelines such as Phase I Environmental Site Assessments and climate-related financial disclosures. His commitment to service extends to his community, where he leads a local Catholic Jail Ministry group, supporting inmates in their personal and spiritual growth. When he’s not working or volunteering, James enjoys spending quality time with his family—he’s a devoted husband, father of four, and lifelong boater. A music enthusiast, he explores passionately-driven fusion, from jazz to classical and the softer side of rock & roll, and loves tinkering with instruments like drums, acoustic guitar, and harmonica. He holds a B.S. in Geology from the University of Dayton and an M.S. in Structural Geology from the University of Tennessee.